Ellen Barre Spiegel grew up in Jericho NY, a predominantly Jewish town in Long Island. Her ancestors had migrated to the United Sates prior to the outbreak of World War II. And for much of life her exposure to cultural diversity was limited. Ellen was born in 1962. She attended Cornell University, located in upstate New York, and graduated in 1984. Though the student population was 30% Jewish, the university expanded her knowledge of the world: her Protestant roommate explained that she had never met a Jew and Ellen replied, I have never met a WASP. Her college studies centered on consumer economics and she was a public policy major. Ellen was an early adopter of technology and her career path included positions at American Express, Prodigy (a joint venture of IBM and Sears), the Weather Channel, and Manufacturers Hanover Trust. Each company used her increasing experience with using technologies to improve connections with consumers. Ellen describes her Jewish identity as conservative and is a member of Midbar Kodesh Temple in Henderson. She talks about her bat mitzvah and her move back to New York to recite the mourner’s Kaddish for the year following the passing of her father. Later, she moved to Santa Monica, where she met Bill, her husband, using a new dating site called Luvitt AOL. After marriage, the couple saw financial advantages to living in Las Vegas and relocated their business and home to the valley in 2001. Soon Ellen noted that there was no active Democratic Club in Henderson and it became her mission to reignite the club. This launched a long list of political and civic accomplishments for Ellen. She has been an assemblyperson in the Nevada legislature (2008, 2013-2017). Her list of accomplishments and affiliations are on pages 46-47.
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Oral history interview with José Armando Elique conducted by Laurents Bañuelos-Benitez on January 14, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Elique discusses his family background and early life in New York City, New York. He talks about his educational experience, attending Catholic schools, and serving in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. Elique recalls his employment with the Port Authority Police Department, Latino police officers, and the evolution of gang culture. Later, Elique talks about moving the Las Vegas, Nevada in 2000, the 1 October shooting, and his role as the chief of police of University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Police Services. Lastly, Elique discusses his involvement with the National Latino Police Officers Association.
Archival Collection